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If you've been paying attention to the Facebook group, independent Drill, you may have noticed a few threads involving expanding the World Drill Championships with another category with groups of 3-6 competitors. This would not replace the current group category, but split and expand it. Tandems would go back to being its own category, and the groups would now allow up to 6.
The reasoning for such a category is simple on the outermost layer, rarely will a tandem beat a good group of 3 or 4 and this split removes that particular competitive advantage. The more detailed explanation and the one many people overlook, is that with the burgeoning number of independent "teams", along with college teams that already exist, there is finally enough interest in doing a team-like event at WDC. The question then becomes, could it be possible in the near future that WDC becomes a true team event, like the NHSDTC it is held alongside? For this to happen, we need to identify the main obstacles in the way. By far the largest obstacle, is the logistics and funding of expanding the event to that level. SNI already does an amazing job putting on NHSDTC and WDC as is, and it is no easy feat. Would making WDC a team event even be worth it to SNI? I don't have the answer to that, and if the answer ends up being a no, I couldn't blame them. Daytona weekend right now takes up all of 3 entire days, and adding more events might not necessarily make sense from their point of view. That alongside the fact that drill is a hobby to most, it's unknown whether competitors would be willing to put up the amount of money needed to compete in such an event. However, if all of that can be overcome, a WDC team event is the dream many don't even know they have. Think Texas A&M versus Sin City. Generation Drill versus Shock Platoon. NGA versus *insert service team here*. Everyone wants to say they're the best, this is the way to prove it. An overall team championship set up similar to NHSDTC with only exhibition events. Categories: Solo, Tandem, Group, Squad. Insane, right? Now think about this, in the last few years, the numbers for those competing in the World Drill Championships, especially in the solo category, have ballooned into the 30s, threatening to overload the category with too many people. If WDC became a team championship, you could limit solo entries to 2 or 3 per team, similar to NHSDTC. Yes, there would still be independents, but the number would most likely drop down into the 20s, a much more manageable number. If you talk to former cadets who were able to compete at NHSDTC with their school, the most fond memories are those of the team. The bonding experiences, the thrill of coming off the floor of team ex after a perfect run through, the months of practice with their team leading up to the first weekend of May. The chance to provide that once more to those who have graduated is coming. Will we be able to take that step? |
